Two found dead after Sandy house fire, homicide suspected

By Pat Reavy , Deseret News

Published: Sunday, Aug. 2 2015 5:19 p.m. MDT

A man and a woman died in a fire at 9460 S. 2811 East in Sandy on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Police say the fire is suspicious and are treating the incident as a homicide. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

SANDY — Two people were found dead inside a burning home here Friday morning in a case that investigators were treating as a homicide.

The bodies of a man and a woman were found inside a bedroom at 2811 E. Ksel Drive (9420 South) about 8:30 a.m.

"We do believe it's suspicious and are treating it as a homicide right now," said Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal.

Hoyal said whether the two died as a result of the fire, or whether the case was a possible murder-suicide or double homicide, is still being investigated.

"It's still very early in this investigation. There are still a lot of unanswered questions we're working on and trying to get those answered," Hoyal said.

Police say they have not been able to identify the pair, adding that there were no obvious signs to indicate a cause of death.

Firefighters investigate a house fire in which a man and a woman died at 9460 S. 2811 East in Sandy on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Police say the fire is suspicious and are treating the incident as a homicide. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

"Most of the damage in the home is in the master bedroom where the individuals were found," said Sandy Fire Deputy Chief Bruce Cline "They were found on their bed."

The fire was knocked down in about 10 minutes. Some of the flames spread into the attic, Cline said.

About a half-hour after the fire was reported, several people who appeared to be family members were seen driving hurriedly into the neighborhood and rushing toward the house. Many were very emotional and yelled at law enforcers at the scene. The group was allowed to an area closer to the burned home, past where the yellow crime scene tape blocked the rest of the public, where many could be seen hugging and consoling each other and wiping away tears.

Family members were escorted away from the scene and put into police vehicles. One woman could be heard crying and saying, "I don't want to leave her."

Police and firefighters investigate a house fire in which a man and a woman died at 9460 S. 2811 East in Sandy on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Police say the fire is suspicious and are treating the incident as a homicide. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)